What do you think? Would you say that you’re an ideal team player?
One of the easiest and most important ways to succeed in business, and even life in general, is to be a team player. Unfortunately, they can sometimes be few and far between.
As leaders, we’re always on the lookout for team players but we can’t often define what it is that we’re actually looking for.
Patrick Lencioni identified three essential qualities, or as he calls them, virtues, that make up an Ideal Team Player – Humility, Hunger and People Skills, or, Humble, Hungry, Smart.
Many people possess one or two of these virtues, but not a lot possess all three. When a team member lacks one or more, it impacts the team and organisation.
Let’s break them down.
Humble: Great team players focus on the success of the team rather than personal interests. They don’t have egos, aren’t obsessed with status and they share credit with others.
Hungry: Another way to think of hunger is drive. Team members who are hungry work hard, take on more responsibilities and are willing to go above and beyond for the team.
Smart: As I mentioned, this one’s all about the people skills; it has nothing to do with intelligence, but rather emotional intelligence and self-awareness. These are the team members that listen, empathise and ask thoughtful questions. They think about others and how their actions might impact them.
As you can see from the Venn Diagram above, they all overlap in some way. For example, Lencioni calls someone who is Humble + Smart “The Lovable Slacker” – someone who everyone likes but doesn’t have the drive to work hard.
Where all 3 overlap in the centre, that is the Ideal Team Player.
The good news? You can learn to improve in any area that you are lacking so you can become the ideal team player. All that needs to come first is self-awareness.
So, let me ask you, where do you think you sit? Comment below and let me know!
